Assessing Arab Citizens’ Psychological Well-Being During Times of Crisis: A Comparison of Three Arab Countries

Abstract

Emergencies have an impact on people's psychological well-being. The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying lockdowns was significant. People from various countries reported varying levels of psychological distress. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological well-being of Arab citizens from the beginning of the pandemic to the end. The responses of 1239 citizens of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Oman were analyzed. The psychological well-being constructs of self-kindness, annoyance and rumination, and future anxiety were examined by gender and country, and by feelings of loneliness, presence of psychological disorders, and psychological rehabilitation before the start of the pandemic. The constructs of psychological well-being were assessed using self-report scales. The findings revealed significant differences between countries in the positive and negative components of psychological well-being, future anxiety, and rumination. Saudi and Omani citizens reported more positive feelings of self-compassion than Jordanians. Pre-existing feelings of loneliness were associated with lower levels of self-compassion, negative thought rumination, and elevated anxiety. Positive feelings, mental health, and sound thinking increase feelings of self-compassion and reduce future anxiety. Females were more concerned about the future and expressed more negative thoughts than males, mostly in Jordan and Oman. Positive self-compassion dimensions were associated with a reduction in future anxiety. Implying that the mental health resilience of countries differed in response to the crisis.
 
 Received: 22 January 2023 / Accepted: 03 April 2023 / Published: 5 May 2023